by J. M. Walker
“I want to go home. I want to be by her stuff. I just…” Her chin wobbled. “I want her.”
“Your parents are on their way to the clubhouse. We were waiting for you to wake up, but I’ll bring you there.” I realized then that it would only be the second time we would be at the clubhouse since I got home. “My dad told me that you put Brynn’s stuff in my room.”
Piper nodded. “I needed to be as close to you as I could. So I slept in your bed whenever I was there and there’s a crib for Brynn there too.” A shuddered breath left her. “I forgot to tell you.”
“Don’t worry about it.” I gently pushed her off my lap and stood. “There’s something I need you to promise me.”
Piper stared up at me with those dark eyes of hers. “What’s that?”
“I need you to promise that no matter what happens, you are in this for the long run. That you won’t leave me.”
She searched my face. “What are you talking about?”
“Promise me, Piper. Promise that you love me and are willing to stick this shit out.” I wasn’t making sense, I knew that, but there was no way that I could actually tell her that I was going to leave and go after the mayor myself. I knew that he had a hand in this shit. I just needed to prove it.
“Of course I’m willing to stick this out.” She paused. “You’re going to go after them, aren’t you?”
I went to walk away when her hand caught my arm.
“You can’t.”
I spun on her, forcing her back a step. “I can and I fucking will.”
“No.” Her eyes welled. “I can’t lose you too.”
“You won’t lose me, Piper.”
“You can’t make promises like that, Jaron,” she screamed, shoving me. “You can’t promise that nothing will happen because you don’t know. You are not God.”
“These bastards took our daughter,” I yelled. “Our baby girl. So yeah, Piper. I am God when it comes to this shit because I hold their lives in my hands.”
“Let the police do their job. Let your dad, the other guys, let them do this because I can’t be without you. I need you, Jaron. I need your strength.” She shook her head, tears streaming down her cheeks. “I can’t. You can’t. Please.”
I spun on my heel, heading to the door but not before I caught the look of pure and utter agony written all over her face. I could see her heart breaking before me and I hadn’t even left yet. But if hurting Piper meant I was able to get our daughter back, then I would do it and deal with her wrath later.
Piper
Jaron was going to leave. He was going to leave and take care of whatever and whoever took our daughter. Maybe I should have been grateful. I was sure some people would be, but not me. No. Because I knew that Jaron’s temper got away from him sometimes. It was why he ended up in jail in the first place.
I didn’t want him to go. I wanted others to do it for him. For us. But I knew that he wouldn’t have any of that.
I just wanted to go home and curl up in his warmth and hold our daughter. I missed her. I ached for her the longer time went on where she wasn’t in my arms. If I knew that she was safe and alive it wouldn’t hurt so much, but I didn’t. No one told me anything and it was driving me fucking crazy.
Jaron had insisted that I rest but he wasn’t around to make sure that I did, so I left the lumpy bed and trudged out into the hall. I was thankful for Ricky who made sure that I was okay and also for whatever favor Jaron owed him, so we could get the blood test results back quickly.
I didn’t know motorcycle clubs had setups like this. Although, I was sure that a lot didn’t. Shadow, or Nero, as I liked to call him since that was his actual name and all, had been around a while. I became fast friends with his granddaughter after Sammy and Cyrus forced me to take a drive to get out of the house when I was still pregnant with Brynn.
“Piper.”
I jumped, spinning around and found a young man coming down the hall toward me. I didn’t know him well, but I had seen him around at Jaron’s parents’ place from time to time. “I’m sorry. I don’t remember your name.”
He gave me a small smile. “That’s okay,” he said, holding out his hand. “I go by Cheesy.”
“Cheesy?” I asked, returning the handshake.
He chuckled, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. “Yeah, it’s dumb. When I was a kid, my parents couldn’t afford a whole lot, so I brought cheese slice sandwiches for lunch quite often. I was teased about it, but truth was, they tasted good. My mom made sure to buy the best kind, even though it wasn’t much. Some kids are worse off. So yeah. I got called Cheesy and it stuck.”
“I like it.” I pulled my hand from his and crossed my arms under my chest. “Have you seen Jaron?”
“No. Last I heard, he was with Greyson.” He nodded to the room I had just come out of. “You should be resting. I was instructed to watch the door, but I’ll get my ass kicked if you’re not in there.”
I opened my mouth to argue with him, but truth was, I had no idea if what he was saying was true or not. Jaron hadn’t really been living the biker life since he came home. His dad was giving him time.
“I rested and then I got bored,” I mumbled. “I need to find my daughter.”
“Not happening, babe.”
Cheesy’s eyes snapped above my head as the deep voice boomed from behind me. “She left the room.”
“Yeah.” Jaron closed the distance between us. “I see that.”
“She needs to find her daughter,” I told Jaron, not caring in the least if Cheesy or any of the other guys heard our argument.
“She is not going anywhere.” Jaron grabbed my hand, attempting to pull me toward the room, but I was having none of that shit and roughly pulled my grip from his.
“No.” I went to storm past him when Jaron quickly grabbed me around the waist. He lifted me off my feet and carried me back into the room I had spent the last few hours in. “Stop. Put me down!”
Jaron ignored me and brought me to the bed.
“Jaron.” I struggled out of his grip, landing hard on the bed. “You’re an asshole.”
“Yup. I am.” He towered over me and grabbed my shoulders when I tried shoving him back. “But I’m an asshole who loves you and is looking out for you and your protection.”
“I don’t care about that. I need to find our daughter.” I tried shoving him again, but he was too damn strong for me.
“I will find our daughter,” he insisted, stepping closer and forcing me onto my back.
“Jaron, stop.” When I went to move out from under him, he grabbed my shoulders again and pinned me down.
“You will listen to me.” In a quick move, he gripped my jaw, forcing me to look up at him. “Are you going to listen?”
“Fine.” I glared up at him. “I’m listening.”
His jaw clenched but instead of arguing with me like I thought he would, he let out a hard sigh. “If you go after them, whoever they are, and look for Brynn, I won’t be able to concentrate and do my damn job.”
“What job is that?”
“To protect you, Piper.” He pulled away from me. “You can’t go after them because if something happened to you, it would kill me.”
“And you don’t think if something happened to you, that it wouldn’t kill me?” I slid off the bed and went up to him. “Jaron, I can’t lose you. Not when I finally found you. Not when I got you back. Not when your second baby is growing inside of me.” I grabbed his hand and placed it on my stomach.
His shoulders slumped. “I need to find her,” he murmured, pushing his nose against mine. It had been something he did quite often and each and every single time, it sent a wave of calm over me. “I have to, Piper. I know you don’t understand.”
“I do understand. I get it. But if it was the mayor like you think it was, he’s dangerous. I can’t have you going after him by yourself.” I cupped Jaron’s nape, pulling his mouth down to mine. “You’re smarter than that.”
He kissed me o
ne last time before pulling away.
Just as I opened my mouth to yell, scream, demand for him to give me something and reassure me that he wasn’t going to leave, Sammy and Cyrus came into the room.
“Sorry to interrupt,” Cyrus said, sticking an unlit smoke behind his ear. “Your dad has news,” he told Jaron.
Sammy looked at his brother. “That’s it?”
Cyrus grunted. “What the fuck more do you want me to say?”
“How about the fact that Lucas got back to Greyson.” Sammy looked at Jaron. “He did. Your dad is on a damn rampage.”
My heart jumped to my throat. Was Brynn found?
Jaron looked back at me over his shoulder. He held out his hand, which I knew was a moment of truce. At least for a little bit.
I slipped my fingers in his and silently prayed that he would let the club take care of it but with the air that rolled off of him, I knew.
Jaron was on a warpath.
I almost felt sorry for the people who crossed him.
***
(Jaron)
Brynlee was found. Sort of anyway. We had her picture printed and passed out everywhere. Add to the fact that she wasn’t even a year old yet, and the clubs would be dropping everything to make sure she was found. Shady or not, most of them had families of their own, so I prayed that they would do as they’re told and bring her home to us. To Piper. I didn’t overly care about me, but I did care about Piper. She was fighting it, but I could sense that she was losing herself and falling within.
“Where is she?” Piper demanded as we walked hand in hand down the hall toward where everyone was.
Dad was sitting in a booth with a few other guys. Catch and Tray were the only ones I knew. Cheesy walked up to them, placing a tray of beer on the table.
“Jaron.” Dad stood when he saw us approach.
“Greyson, where’s my baby?” Piper asked, her voice shaking.
“She was last seen at a gas station about two hours from here. She was spotted on the camera in the arms of a man.” He looked at me. “We need to talk.”
The hackles on the back of my neck rose. “Who the fuck was he?”
Dad’s face softened. “Jaron.”
“No.” I could feel Piper’s eyes burning into me, but I didn’t care. “Tell us.”
“We need to have this conversation in private.” Dad went to sit back down when I charged for him.
“Tell me where the fuck she is!” I yelled, shoving him back.
In a quick move, he grabbed me by the collar and slammed me up against the nearest wall. “Careful, boy. I don’t give a shit that you’re my son. You put your hands on me again and I’ll be bringing your mother to your funeral.”
He was so damn close that I could see the specks of gold in his blue eyes. “I need my baby. For Piper,” I murmured, knowing when to back down.
Dad leaned his forehead against mine. “I know, Jaron. Trust me, I know. I’ve been where you are. I know how you feel. I do.”
I remembered when he and my mom told me about how I was taken when I was first born. I had been so focused on my own issues that I forgot that my dad could relate.
“Let’s go talk.” He leaned down to my ear. “I don’t trust Shadow’s crew.” He released me, fixed my hoodie, and patted my cheek. “You are so much like me, it’s unreal. But there’s something you have that I don’t.”
“What’s that?” I asked, feeling all eyes on us but the only one I cared about was Piper’s.
“You have your mom’s fire.” Dad went up to Shadow who was sitting at the bar, watching the whole exchange. He said something to him, looking back at me over his shoulder.
Shadow nodded, standing and clapping dad on the shoulder.
“Jaron.”
I looked down, finding Piper standing right in front of me. She had been so quiet this whole time, I didn’t even hear her approach.
She slid her fingers in mine and started leading me out of Shadow’s club.
Sammy and Cyrus followed behind us, muttering to themselves, but all I could focus on was how much I loved the woman holding my hand. How much I needed her. How I couldn’t go on without her. How stupid I was for wanting to go after Brynn myself. But with the information that dad was withholding, I knew that she was with the mayor. How he played it off, I had no idea. The press would be all over him. Maybe he convinced them he adopted a baby. I wasn’t sure but then a thought came to me.
“Have you seen anything in the news about the mayor or his whereabouts?” I asked the twins. “Or anything online?”
A knowing glance passed between them before Sammy pulled a pack of cigarettes from the inner pocket of his cut. He stuck a smoke between his lips and for whatever reason, that act alone sent a tremor of rage rushing through me.
Releasing Piper’s hand, I stomped up to him and pulled the smoke from his lips.
He raised an eyebrow. “We gonna play, Jaron?”
“Sammy,” Cyrus warned.
“What?” Sammy frowned. “He’s clearly itching for a fight.”
“Jaron.” Piper came up beside us. “Stop. We don’t want to do this here.”
“You should probably listen to your girlfriend.” Sammy stuck another smoke between his lips and that set me off.
I shoved him, pulled my arm back, and slammed it against his jaw.
He stumbled to the side, a slow grin spreading on his face.
“Jaron,” Piper gasped.
Sammy caught his bearings and in two steps, he threw his own punch. When his fist connected with my jaw, my head rang. Pain shot up the side of my face, but it felt so damn good at the same time.
“Stop this, please!” Piper cried.
But as much as I knew this wasn’t right, I couldn’t stop.
“What the hell is going on?” That was said by my dad, but I still didn’t stop.
Sammy and I landed blow after blow on each other. We fell to the ground, shoving and kicking. It was messy and not the least bit organized but the pain rushing through me forced these new feelings to the surface.
I was scared. No, I was damn near terrified that if something happened to Brynn, that it would be it for Piper and me. Our relationship was rocky at best. While we loved each other, we had already been through so much in such a short amount of time. I couldn’t lose her.
My chest tightened, a sob of anguish lodging its way in my throat.
“Jaron.” Sammy straddled my waist, clutching the collar of my hoodie.
“Fuck.” I lifted a trembling hand, trying to cover my eyes. I didn’t need him to see me cry. I didn’t need any of them to see me break.
“Go back inside,” Cyrus instructed. “There’s nothing to see here.”
“You heard him. Do as you’re fucking told for once,” Shadow barked.
Sammy slid off of me and knelt at my side. He helped me to a sitting position and wrapped his arms around me. “We’ll find her.”
I latched on to him, a sob finally breaking free. “I can’t…I can’t lose them.”
“I know.” Sammy squeezed me. “You won’t. If it’s the last thing I fucking do, I promise you, Jaron. You will not lose them.”
“Jaron.” Piper was suddenly beside me, her arms wrapping around my shoulders.
Sammy released me, giving me a crooked smile with his cracked lip and bloody nose.
A shuddered sigh left me. Roughly wiping the tears from under my eyes, I chanced a glance at Piper.
Her cheeks were wet.
“I’m sorry.” I swiped a thumb under her eye. “I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
She shook her head. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I asked, taken aback by her words.
“For finally breaking,” she said softly.
Instead of answering, I crushed my mouth to hers. A sharp pain shot through my bottom lip, forcing me to pull back.
“I got you good, J.” Sammy stood, holding out his hand.
I let him help me up, pulling Piper along with me. “T
hank you for knowing what I needed.”
“Anytime. I’m actually surprised it hadn’t happened already.” He cupped my shoulder. “We used to fight all the time.”
Cyrus grunted. “That was until Aunt Eve almost kicked our asses worse than what we did to each other. Remember when Jaron had to pop his shoulder back into place?”
Sammy chuckled. “Oh yeah. I thought she was going to throw up.”
“Hey.” Piper turned me toward her. “You okay?”
“No.” I bent at the waist and brushed my nose against hers. “But at least my nose isn’t broken.”
“What the fuck ever man.” Sammy gently shoved me, pulling the hem of his shirt up to wipe his nose. “You’re bigger than I am.”
I scoffed. “Right.”
“You two fuckers done fighting, so we can get this shit on the road?”
All of us turned at the sound of Shadow’s deep voice as he stalked toward us. “The shit I have to clean up while my son is off doing fuck all. He’s lucky I enjoy pretending that I’m still the president.” He held two ice packs in his hands. My dad followed behind him with Tray and Catch on either side of him.
“We’re good,” was all I said. I wasn’t but fighting it out, mixed with the pain from Sammy’s punches, helped more than one would think.
Piper stepped closer to my side, wrapping her arm around my lower back.
I looked down at her and kissed the top of her head. “We’ll find out what’s going on and then go home.”
“We can stay at the clubhouse,” she murmured. “I just want to get out of here.”
“Okay.” I kissed her head again.
“You good, Son?” Dad asked me, clapping my shoulder.
“No but I will be. Both of us will be.” I cleared my throat. “I’m sorry about—”
“Don’t worry about it.” Dad walked away. “We’ll meet you at home.”
Linking my fingers with Piper’s, I led her to the twins’ SUV. “Thank you for everything, Shadow.”
“No thanks needed. You don’t even owe me this time,” he said, following us.